Will Pucovski, the young Australian cricketer, faced another setback in his ongoing battle with concussions. While playing for the Victorian second XI, he took a blow to his helmet from David Grant’s bouncer, forcing him to retire hurt after scoring 43 runs off 101 deliveries at the Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide on Monday, January 22.
Despite attempting to continue, Pucovski had to abandon his innings after facing just four more deliveries. The 25-year-old, who made his Test debut during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, has now experienced 10 concussions in his relatively short career.
Additionally, he grappled with mental health challenges and underwent a significant absence from October 2022 to 2023. Recently, he participated in the Prime Minister XI against Pakistan as a warm-up for their three-match series against Australia, but he managed to score only four runs in the solitary innings he played.
The extent of Pucovski’s current injury remains uncertain, and it’s unclear how his previous concussions might influence this latest incident. Reports suggest he felt dizzy after the blow but has since returned to batting in the nets after undergoing a concussion test. Cricket Victoria is awaiting the results and will provide an official update accordingly.
The ball that eventually forced Victorian gun Will Pucovski to retire hurt during his 2nd XI game against South Australia today. Batted on for four balls after being struck before leaving the field of play@wwos #9WWOS #Cricket pic.twitter.com/TPXoZNmXkn
— Will Faulkner (@willzfaulk) January 22, 2024
The timing of this setback is unfortunate for the talented batter, especially considering the ongoing competition for David Warner’s opening spot in the Australian XI.
Despite this, the latest update indicates that Pucovski has successfully passed the concussion test and spent a significant time batting in the nets. Consequently, he has been permitted to continue his innings for the Victoria Second XI, with close monitoring for the remainder of the encounter.